Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-20

any rete acquitted. OF course, ne
conldn't help adding the despair
ing tag about his never, never
seeing you. But when he goes
back 10 his own quarters and
thinks il over little he'll make up his
mind--I know young men, my dear
he'll make up his mind that he must
Just run mp to town and speak with you
once more before he breaks ii all OF
forever. And il he sees you, Iris
but, after oil, why should he break i
off? He has nothing TO be ashamed OF.
For, indeed, I'm quite sure, darling,
be never, never, never, never could
have taken that dreadful money"
"Of course not" mamma" Iris
answered simply, with profound conf
dence. What blessed thing il is to be
a trustful woman The Bishops moral
certainty was really nothing at all COM
pared to his pretty, weeping daughters
mistaken conviction.
Charlotte, the Bishop said, putting
his head in at the door for second,
with his episcopal hat suspended loosely
in his right hand, "I've ordered the
carriage and I'm going down now TO
the Athen@um; from the Athen@um /
shall drive on to the House of Lords;
from the House OF Lords, after dinner,
/ shall 20 into the Commons and hear
what those dissenting Glamorgan peo-
pie have got TO say about this distressing
Welsh disestablishment business. Very
probably the debate may be late.
shall send the carriage home, IN case
you want il, and / shall cab il back or
take the Metropolitan. Don't sit up for
me. Have you got latchkey ,"
Mrs. Brandreth gave an involuntary
start. The notion of the Bishop de
handing latch-key was really and
truly too ridiculous. The fact was, the
BIandreths had only just taken their
furnished house in Eaton Place for the
season that very week, and the Bishop
himself had arrived alone from the
palace Winchester that identical
morning. A man oppressed by the
spiritual burdens of an entire diocese
cannot, of course, be reasonably expected
to go house-hunting. 1t was irrational
and unscriptural, DIR. Brandreth held,
to suppose that he should leave the
work of his See to serve tables. So
Mrs. Brandreth and Iris had come to
town and secured the episcopal lodg-
ings beforehand, and as soon as every
thing was put fully straight the Bishop
himself came up for the session to "his
own hired house like st. Paul. and
entered into the enjoyment of neatly
ordered and well-arranged study. This,
he explained, left his mind perfectly
free for the wearing and harassing du-
ties of the episcopate, combined as
they were, under our existing circum-
stances, with the arduous work of
Lord Spiritual in the upper house.
Yes, Mrs. Brandreth had latchkey,
and the Bishop, still absorbed in soul
by the effects of the burials bill and
the aggressive conduct of the Glamor-
oanshire Dissenters, kissed his wife
and daughter mechanically, and went
off Eliminating to the Atheneum. Iris
has been crying" he said to himself,
with pensive smile, as John turned
the handle of the carriage-door respect
fully behind him. "Girls will make a
fuss about these foolish love affairs.
But in a little while she's sure to get
over it. Indeed, for my part, what
she can possibly see to admire in this
Young man in the Misunderstanding
tieth rather than i'll poor dear good
Canon Robinson, who would make
such an admirable husband for her
though, to be sure, there is a certain
disparity in age-fairly passes my COM
prehension."
And vet when young Mr.. Brandreth,
of Christ Church, had wooed and won
Charlotte Vandeleur, he was himself a
handsome young curate.
The afternoon wore away slowly III
Eaton Place, but dinner-time came at
last. and Just as Mrs. Brandreth and
Iris were rising up disconsolately from
pitiable pretence of dinner, "for the
sake of the servants" there came a
very military knock at the front door,
which made poor Iris jump and start
with sudden flush of vivid color on
her pale cheek. =. -,
ii told you so, darling" Mrs. Bran
dreth half whispered in pleased I'M
dertone. "It's Captain Burbury.
And so it was. The mothers, P'y,,
chology Tor instinct, If you VIII mao
told her correctly. Mrs. Brandreth
rose TO 90 into the drawing-room as soon
as the card was duly laid before her.
u oughtn't to leave them alone by
themselves, " she thought to herself 81
.lently. eff did, under the circum-
stances, Arthur would be justitiably
angry" And, so thinking, she drew
her daughters arm in hers and muir
INJURED softly, Iris, dear, ] really feel
oughtnt to leave you, and walked
quietly off without another word into
her own boudoir.
Iris. her heart beating fast and high,
opened the door and stepped alone into
the front drawing-room.
AS she entered, Harry Burbury, that
nenitent and shame-faced man, walked
npto her with hands outstretched, :,
seemed for moment as u he wouid
bow merely, = then made as
though he would shake hands with her,
and finally, carried away fol
a moment from his set purpose, caught
her up ardently in both his arms, kissed
her face half q dozen times 'over, and
pressed her tight against his heavine
bosom.
He had never kissed her so before
Int Iris somehow felt to herself thai
the action just then really required ne
apology. .t
Next minute Harry Burbury stepped
bock again a few PAGES and surveyed
her sadly, with his face burning tery
crimson. "Oh, Iris" he cried, 81
mean Miss Brandreth-no, Iris. !
made up my mind as | came along II
,be train from Aldershot that l shouiC
never. never again call you Iris
"But, Harry, You made up You
mind, too, you would never see me!
II did, Iris, but / thought
! Thought, when came TO think it over
. that perhaps / had better come ant
, ! tell You before l left England why
! felt it must be all closed forever be
4 tween us. .u
. cleft England, Harry All close'
, between us! -,
! Eyes, Iris, yes, darling!" And her
! Harry so far forgot his resolution one
: more that he again kissed her.
shall resign my commission ana &